


Enlistment

by Enchantable



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Pining, Romantic Gestures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-23 02:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19141630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantable/pseuds/Enchantable
Summary: “What the hell are you doing?” He demands.“Enlisting,” Michael says.“You can’t do that,” Alex says and Michael glares.





	Enlistment

**Author's Note:**

> Original Prompt: Angst malex, Alex thinks Michael has moved on with Maria and decides to re-enlist in the army. Michael rushes to act. Happy ending!

“What the hell are you doing?” Michael demands before he’s even fully out of the car.

Alex glares. He’s five fucking steps from the recruitment office. Five steps from freedom and Michael has to find him. Block him. For all that he’s leaving because of this situation, he’s not sure he can do it if Michael is there. Michael’s better now, thank god, but better means its time for him to go. He can’t be here and watch him fall for Maria. Not when it’s his own stupidity that has them in this situation in the first place. But now Michael is wide eyes and determined and standing in between him and getting out.

“I can’t be here right now,” Alex starts, “i can’t be here and watch you with someone else. I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“Maria’s the one who called me!” Michael burst out.

Alex hates him for how tortured he looks. But he also knows this is out of his control. His father killed Michael’s family, maimed his hand. He doesn’t have any say in whether or not Michael can look at him. And maybe he does deserve to be there without being with him, but he can’t. He can’t do it. It makes him feel like even more of a coward but he refuses to unpack that. He can’t. Not here. Maybe back in the desert or literally anywhere else. Michael stares at him desperately and Alex hardens his resolve.

“I can’t be here,” he says, “i have to go.”

“So what? If we’re not together you can’t be here?” Michael demands, “all that stuff about family was bullshit?”

Alex glares as Michael plants himself there, fully stubborn but not yet deflecting.

“My father—“

“I don’t care about your father—“

“Bullshit!” Alex snaps, making Michael’s jaw lock, “I know you see him when you look at me. I see him when I look in the mirror. I don’t blame you for that being a deal breaker but I can’t be here torturing us both. I have to go.”

Michael’s always been stronger and braver. He’s been in this position and done it better. So Alex is going. Michael doesn’t deny again that’s whats going on. He can’t. They both know it’s a huge factor. And the other side of it is that Michael’s opened the door to moving on—which is also Alex’s fault. He ran away. He said he didn’t love him. Alex cannot stop from screwing up when it comes to the people he loves. Especially this person. He moves past Michael who doesn’t try to stop him. Alex fights the bitterness that wells in him as he gets past Michael’s arms reach. He steps into the office and lets the door close.

“Can i help you?”

“I have a meeting with the Sargent,” Alex says

“Captain Manes,” he turns to the man whose about to enable the trait he hates most about himself, “step into my office.”

They’re just there when the door smacks open.

“Can i help you?”

“I wanna enlist?” Michael’s voice comes, and the fear in Alex’s stomach almost chokes him, “be recruited? Join up?”

Alex excuses himself and goes over to Michael. He looks like he’s crawling out of his skin with adrenaline but he’s got that same determined look as he follows the man to the desk. Now Alex finds himself as the one standing in the way.

“What the hell are you doing?” He demands.

“Enlisting,” Michael says.

“You can’t do that,” Alex says and Michael glares, “your hand—“

“You have one leg,” Michael snaps.

Alex knows he’ll get in. He’ll take the ASVAB and do very well. As long as he makes it past the physical he’ll be great. But the notion of Michael shaving off his curls and flying off on missions makes Alex feel sick. The air force members are all watching them and Michael has that look in his eyes. He turns to the recruiter.

“I need to sign up.”

“No he doesn’t,” Alex snaps, “Michael.”

“Screw you,” Michael says, “you want to run, fine. I’m coming with you.” Alex glares, Michael knows this time it’s not that simple, “and then when I figure it out we come back here.”

“That isn’t how enlistment works!” Alex cries, throwing his hands up, “you have figured this out. We figured it out.”

“No we haven’t!” Michael says, turning back to the recruiter, “sign me up.”

“Excuse us,” Alex cuts in, grabbing Michael and hauling him out onto the sidewalk, “I can’t stay here and watch you love someone else,” he says, hating the pleading note that slips into his tone, “please try to understand that. I can respect you not wanting to be with me—“

“I do!” Michael cuts him off, “Alex I do I just—“ he tugs on his curls, “i need more time.”

“My father is responsible for your mothers death, that’s not something you get over with time,” Alex says.

“You don’t know that!” Michael objects. Alex looks away, pushing the flick of hope. Michael grabs him and pulls him away from the door, shoving something at him. Alex unwraps the corner, though he knows what it is. He shoves it into his pocket when Michael steps back, “there. You—you keep that,” Michael says, suddenly sounding smaller than Alex has heard in a long time, “and one day—“

“Michael,” he shakes his head, “this isn’t going to work.”

Michael stares at him desperately and Alex wants nothing more than to throw this out the window.

“You don’t need to put this much work into it. Just let me go.”

“No,” he says, “come here.”

Alex wants to say no but he knows better. Michael isn’t going to grab him and kiss him or anything. And if he does he can still walk away. Michael instead squares his shoulders and lifts his hand up. It starts glowing and Alex shivers. Slowly he lifts his hand up and presses his palm to Michael’s. Michael closes his eyes and his face draws together. What happens isn’t anything Alex will ever fully have the words to describe. It’s like being Michael. He feels everything. He knows everything. He sees the endless hours trying to focus this, Max and Isobel and even Liz. Maria helps as well. He feels the pain and fear and anger and the ache for it to go. He feels Michael’s determination and his willingness to face it and tease apart the knot.

He feels how close he is to succeeding.

When Michael lets go of his hand he’s shaking and panting, feeling like he’s jelly. Liz has told him about this but she couldn’t adequately describe it. Michael stares at him desperately. Alex blames himself and his family for this mess. And the guilt is overwhelming but Michael doesn’t. It never occurred to him that Michael didn’t blame him. That he was equally self disgusted at how he felt. Alex isn’t familiar with acceptance or forgiveness like that. He isn’t used to being anyone’s safe place or family that doesn’t inspire shame.

“I can’t wait forever,” he chokes out, “that’s not fair to either of us—“

“I’m not asking for forever. Just—a little longer. Please.”

Alex nods and he feels the echo of Michael’s relief in his bones.

“I have to go—apologize,” he says, “discuss my options for staying here. Wait for me?”

“Okay,” Michael says, running his hands through his curls. Alex pushes the thought of Michael with a shaved head as far as he can out of his mind. He pauses as if he can feel Alex’s worry, exactly what he’s thinking, “Iz’d kill me,” he mumbles, embarrassed though meaning the gesture all the same.

“Just, wait in the car,” Alex says, pressing the piece of alien ship back into his hand.

He doesn’t need the physical collateral anymore and neither does Michael.


End file.
